Monthly Archives: January 2014

DVD Review – VARIOUS ARTISTS – Live At Wacken 2012

        UDR ( Release date – out now) As anyone with an ounce of metal in their veins knows the Wacken Festival is one of the longest established and heaviest festivals in Europe. This three DVD package … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album Review: XNA – When We Changed You

      Cleopatra Records – Release Date: 22 October 2013 You know all those awkward questions that children ask at various stages of their development – ‘why is the sky blue?’, ‘are we nearly there yet?’, ‘where do babies … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: THERION – O2 Islington Academy, London, 20 December 2013‏

Arkona

Support Acts: Arkona Review & Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis It was around the end of November that an acquaintance of mine asked me to name my favorite gig of the year to which my response was “It’s too early … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Single & EP review: THE GREETING COMMITTEE – Island (EP)

Push Puzzle Records [Release date 15.09.13] One of the joys of enduring music is the way retro influences sometimes coalesce with the present and lodge themselves in cutting edge recordings. ‘Island’ a 3 track EP from Newcastle’s The Greeting Committee … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: SOT – Kind of Saltz

SOT - Kind Of Saltz

Soltanic Sounds [Available now] ‘Kind of Saltz’ appears to have been released some time ago but has just popped again in my pile of CD’s be reviewed.  It’s a wide ranging and engaging album, best described as 70’s jazz-rock fusion, … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: CASABLANCA – Riding A Black Swan

Casablanca - Riding A Black Swan

Gain/Sony Music [out now] American/Swedish band Casablanca have just released their sophomore album “Riding A Black Swan” and just 8 days into 2014 I would be surprised if I am not still listening to this on repeat at the end … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

DVD review: WILKO JOHNSON – Live At Koko

Wilko Johnson - Live At Koko

Cadiz Music [Release date 18.12.13] The biggest weight of expectation on a night of high emotion probably lay in the lap of the multi-camera crew, rather than the band themselves. For on a night that happily didn’t turn out to … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: SAVOY BROWN – Goin’ To The Delta

Savoy Brown - Goin

Ruf Records [Release date 11.02.14] Having spent the best part of 48 years on the road as the personification of the pivotal and enduring Anglo American blues-rock band Savoy Brown, guitarist Kim Simmonds goes back to basics on ‘Goin’ To … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: HAIL OF BULLETS – III: The Rommel Chronicles

Metal Blade – Out Now. Being both a huge Metal fan and a passionate historian with a particular fascination for all things WWII meant that I was hooked immediately back in 2006 on the old-school Death Metal quintet Hail Of … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Interview with LIV KRISTINE (Leaves’ Eyes) – 12 December 2013

Leaves

There are few people who I have thoroughly enjoyed talking to over the years in my capacity as a music journalist, and Liv Kristine, leading member of the Symphonic/Gothic Metal sextet Leave’s Eyes is certainly one of them. Hours prior … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Interviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: PHWG – The Observer

PHWG – The Observer

Pontus H.W. Gunve [Release date 07.05.13] PHWG is an innovative band led by New York based guitarist, synth programmer, composer and producer Pontus H.W. Gunve, with an original take on prog rock, world, ambient and fusion music. He frames it all … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: SPACE ELEVATOR – S/t plus interview with the Duchess

DY Music www.spaceelevatoronline.com  [Released March 2014] Debut album by a band formed by guitarist David Young, who plays in the West End musical ‘We Will Rock You’ house band along with female vocalist called the Duchess. The band is completed … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DVD review: THE DOORS – Live At The Bowl 68 / Soundstage Performances / Live In Europe 1968

THE DOORS – Live At The Bowl 68 / Soundstage Performances / Live In Europe 1968

Eagle Vision [Release date 15.10.13] The Doors ‘Live At The Bowl ‘68’ / ‘Soundstage Performances’ / ‘Live In Europe 1968’ triple DVD box set judiciously mixes recycled and restored concert footage with insightful bonus interviews from band members and their contemporaries. … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: KROSSBORDER – Kompilation Vol 1 – The Best British Blues

Krossborder Records – [Release Date: 16.12.13] ‘Krossborder Kompilation Vol 1: The Best British Blues’ invites us to ‘enjoy a good dose of musical therapy’. The 16 tracks just about deliver enough to allow us to do just that, even though … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Interview with JIM McCARTY (The Yardbirds) – 3 January 2014

Jim McCarty - The Yardbirds

  January 21st 2014 sees The Yardbirds play their first date of an exhaustive 2014 tour which celebrates 50 years of their existence and the British Blues Invasion that changed the course of rock history. The band initially split in ‘68, … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Album Review: DODSON & FOGG – The Call

      Self Released – [Release Date: 2013] I had the pleasure to review three Dodson & Fogg albums back in August 2013, all three of which had been released within an eighteen month period. I said at the … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: JAMES STEVENSON – Everything’s Getting Closer To Being Over

James Stevenson - Everything

   Independent release [Release date 10.12.13] For a guitarist with punk and new wave credentials that span Chelsea the revamped Generation X, Kim Wilde, The Cult, Glen Matlock, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Alarm, and latterly Willie Nile, James Stevenson sure … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Album review: ROSCO LEVEE AND THE SOUTHERN SLIDE – Get It While You Can

Rosco Levee And The Southern Slide

Red Train Records Records [Release date 27.01.14] ‘Get It While You Can’ wrestles with the common problem of a Brit band trying to sound authentic on material that evokes the deep south with some shit kicking roots rock. Rosco leads … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Album review: LEAVES’ EYES – Symphonies Of The Night

Leaves Eyes

Napalm Records www.leaveseyes.de There are a lot of female fronted symphonic metal bands out there now and a lot do tend to blend into one another, with a few notable exceptions and Leaves’ Eyes are one such exception. The soaring … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: STEPHEN DALE PETIT – Cracking The Code

Stephen Dale Petit

        333 Records [Release date 16.09.13] ‘Cracking The Code’ is an apt title for an album that counter balances some retro sounding material with a contemporary production. There’s something lying underneath the frisson busting energy levels but … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment